What should I wear? Should I apply make-up or stay normal? Should I wear heels or flats? Should I carry a sling bag or a clutch? So many questions like these crop up in a girl's mind when they dress up for their first date. Stop worrying about all these and think the other way round. You guys have spoke earlier, knew each other’s choices and preferences (to some extent, if not completely) and now decided to meet up. So be happy and just go about it.. But wait! There are some things which girls should 'not' always expect on their first date:

1. He will pay the restaurant bill: This might be true, but not always. Do not always expect the guy to pay the bill or even if he wishes to, do take an initiative from your end also. It might look a bit awkward, but try to split the cheque. You may never know, later on if this relation works out, he might make you laugh out loud regarding the incident.

2. He will drop you home: If he comes with his car on your first date, then you can expect. But what if he does not have a car and you know it before hand? You might have to return back home alone then. Be prepared!

3. He will meet over coffee: Is every first date over a coffee table or a cup of Latte? Why can’t it be in a popular Punjabi dhaba over a cup of ginger tea? Dear girls, don’t expect your first date to be in a classy chandelier lit coffee house over a dazzling glass of cold moccachino. At times be prepared to meet him at a dhaba under a moonlit sky too. Outdoor dining does wonders at times!

4. He will click a selfie with you: Come on girls! First date does not mean the final meet before marriage. It is only about getting introduced to each other face to face. Unless and until he is bold enough, he might hesitate to do the act. So you want to take the step? Well, that’s completely your choice and depends on the situation too.

5. He will compliment your gorgeous dress: This might happen over time but not always on the first date. You need to hold on your nerves ladies! Once the date works out, then over time your guy will overload you with compliments. Walk in casually and things might work out.

6. He will talk about your past relationship: Why do you want to spoil the first meet by talking about the bitter past? In case you guys are already aware of each other’s past, then postpone the discussion for future. The first date is all about a romantic evening, a warm welcome, a delectable dinner and a cool conversation ending with a sweet 'bye-bye' note.

7. He will only do the ice-breaking session: Your instinct may be to ask a bunch of questions to get him to open up, but it might feel like a college admission interview. Still, keep the conversations going, don’t worry about silences. You can keep any topic like what’s his favourite music, is he interested in long drives and did he bully friends in college, and such funny stuff.

The day must end on a good note. Do not rush out of the car if he drops you home. Before he starts, ask him if you guys can meet over Karaoke soon. If it's in his mind too, he'll surely lean in! Blush blush! Keep eye contact while talking to the man.

Get your heels on ladies and try to make you first date the most cherished day of your life! Follow the tricks and thank us later.. :)

All pictures for representational purposes

London: Does a one-night stand or romping without any commitment or emotional involvement sound interesting to you? If yes, please beware. Researchers have found that a liking for casual sex may land you in trouble.

The researchers found that a person's preference for casual sex may actually increase their risk of being harassed.

Also, adolescents who have been sexually harassed are more strongly inclined to have casual sex than others, the findings showed.

The results might give the impression that it is the victim's fault for being harassed, but the researchers said their findings were not intended to "blame the victim".

"Absolutely not! We're trying to understand the psychological mechanisms that underlie harassment," said Mons Bendixen, Associate Professor at Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, Norway.

It might be that a preference for casual sex results in more sexual solicitations in general, including undesirable ones.

The study, published in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior, also showed that adolescents who sexually harass others have had casual sex more often than those who do not harass others.

They also fantasise more about casual sex and find it more acceptable to have sex without any commitment or emotional closeness.

The study included 1,326 heterosexual girls and boys with an average age of nearly 18 years. The psychologists only looked at non-physical forms of sexual harassment.

Fully 60 per cent of the girls and boys in the survey reported that they had been sexually harassed in the last year.

Around 30 per cent of the girls and 45 per cent of the boys admitted that they had sexually harassed someone one or more times.

Woman and man in bed

Having sex is probably one of the most enjoyable things to do out there, but sometimes your partner may not be having as much fun as you thought she was. If you are someone who is a little skittish about asking her for ‘feedback’, here are some subtle cues she’s probably giving you.

>> She shuts down after sex: Most women like to cuddle after sex. Some may like to simply lie down next to you and take a nap. But if your lady love is turning away and absolutely shutting down after sex, there’s definitely a problem.
When women have sex they release a certain hormone that causes them to bond with the man they are with. This is why you’ll find your partner wanting to be close to you after the act. If this basic need is missing in your woman, there is a possibility that she isn’t quite enjoying her time in the sac.

>> Avoids having sex with you: This one is just the brightest red flag out there. If she’s avoiding the act all together, know that there is potentially something very wrong. While other reasons like hormonal imbalance or even fatigue can play a role in her disinterest, if she was sexually active and starts avoiding sex with you, it’s time to change things up.

>> Looks bored: While having sex, the last thing that comes to your mind is to register what expression she has on her face. But if you actually take the time to notice and she looks bored, you know you aren’t doing anything to make her happy between the sheets.

>> She talks about certain things during the act: She probably doesn’t want to hurt your feelings by telling you that you aren’t satisfying her, but one way of giving you a hint would be to talk to you about specific things you do in bed. For instance, if she asks about why you like a particular position or why you climaxed early, know that she’s pointing towards a problem.

>>She wants to stay in only one position during sex: This could go either way. Either you’re turning her on and helping her have a lot of fun in this position, or she hates it and just wants you to be done. If the latter is the case, she’s probably not going to want to change positions, ask you if you are done and lay there looking bored. Combine all the above hints with this one and voila you have a lady who is not too happy with your skills between the sheets.

Jackie Shroff and Rishi Kapoor have starred in a film together, but surprisingly, they have never shared a frame or had scenes together. With Rishi Kapoor’s untimely passing, the industry mourns the massive loss we suffered last week. Rishi Kapoor’s colleagues have taken the time out to share how special and jolly he was around others and would always care for others.

In his recent interaction with another portal, Jackie Shroff said that his dream of sharing the screen space with Rishi Kapoor will never come true now. He recalled how Rishi Kapoor would tell him that he wanted to do a film with him since they had never faced each other on camera. Being Jackie’s senior, he obviously wanted to be in the same frame as the legendary actor. He was upset that it can no longer come true and that the industry has lost a piece of jewel from the crown.

Jackie Shroff further recalled how he first saw Rishi Kapoor after Bobby’s release and was completely awestruck by his presence and personality.

Also Read: Imtiaz Ali reposts a video of Rishi Kapoor dancing at former’s brother’s wedding in Kashmir

Actress and former Bigg Boss contestant Devoleena Bhattacharjee is currently in quarantine after reports of her cook testing positive for coronavirus emerged. However, it turns out the cook has not been tested positive but has been quarantined after someone in a family he worked for tested positive for COVID-19.

In an interview with a web portal, Devoleena emphasised that she is well and her cook is not positive for coronavirus. She said that the government has put him up in a hotel and is being looked after very well. She further said that too much has been made out of this and it has made her more tired.

Devoleena, however, has no problem cooking for herself, and she reminds us that she did it all the time in the Bigg Boss house.

ALSO READ: Devoleena Bhattacharjee says this is the fourth time in the last five months that she is quarantined

The well-known Zoom video conferencing app for meetings is not a safe platform, the Cyber Coordination Centre (CCC) of the Ministry of Home Affairs has warned in an advisory issued last week.

The well-known #Zoom video conferencing app for meetings is not a safe platform, the Cyber Coordination Centre (CCC) of the Ministry of Home Affairs (@PIBHomeAffairs) has warned in an advisory issued last week. pic.twitter.com/rPRLkLGvpX

— IANS Tweets (@ians_india) April 16, 2020

In the advisory, issued on April 12, it is mentioned that "secure use of Zoom meeting platform is for private individuals and not for use of government offices or official purposes". The government said that CERT-In on the same lines had been informed on February 6 and March 30 this year clarifying that "Zoom is not a safe platform".

In a set of guidelines for the safety of private users, the CCC division of the MHA mentioned that "those private individuals who still would like to use Zoom for private purposes" should follow certain guidelines like prevention of unauthorised entry in conference room and unauthorised participants to carry out malicious activity on terminals of others in the conference. The advisory also suggested to "avoid 'DOS' attacks by restricting users through passwords and access grant".

Zoom app has apparently become a favourite and famous tool among people during the lockdown and it is being used by schools and many private players. "Most of the settings can be done by logging into users zoom account at website, or installed application at PC/Laptop/Phone and also during conduct of conference," the guidelines from MHA mentions.

Officials in the Home Ministry told IANS that the app has some specific weaknesses so it is necessary to avoid its use for official purposes as it can encrypt meeting data.

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Amid the rising number of coronavirus outbreak, a shocking video of an elephant walking on the empty streets in Kerala's Munnar district has taken the internet by storm. The heartwarming video, which has gone viral was shared by Indian Forest Service officer Sudha Ramen, who said that the elephant in the video is called Padaiyappa.

Tusker 'Padaiyappa' on his night patrol to check on the lockdown at Munnar Town.
Sighting wild elephants are common here. 'Padaiyappa' is not new to the locals, he has been visiting the town now & then. Looks like he had some special task this time. Received via WA. pic.twitter.com/kvlELa5pst

— Sudha Ramen IFS 🇮🇳 (@SudhaRamenIFS) April 16, 2020

On Thursday, Sudha took to Twitter and shared the beautful video where the elephant can be seen wandering on the empty streets of Kerala amid lockdown due to coronavirus. While sharing the video with over 25,000 followers, Sudha wrote: Tusker 'Padaiyappa' on his night patrol to check on the lockdown in Munnar Town.

She further said that sighting wild elephants in Kerala is a common sight. Talking about the elephant, Sudha said that Padaiyappa has been visiting the town every now and then and is quite acquainted with the local. She said that it appears as if the elephant is on some special task this time.

The locals call him notorious.. Here he looks calm. However, it's always better to stay away or keep a distance from the wild elephants, especially when it's a lone tusker!

— Sudha Ramen IFS 🇮🇳 (@SudhaRamenIFS) April 16, 2020

In the 37-seconds video clip, the tusker can be seen walking down the empty streets of Munnar on night as the state fights the coronavirus crisis. In another tweet, Sudha said that although the elephant looks calm its best to to stay away from wild elephants, especially when it's a lone tusker.

Now it is quiet, with less pollution and people crowding the streets, the animals are coming back. It's a beautiful thing. Nature wants to bring itself back. Wonderful.

— Therese (@ThereseRalston) April 16, 2020

Since the time it was shared., the video has garnered over 3,0000 views leaving netizens in awe of the elephant. One user said, "Have heard the name from locals. Seeing him for the first time," while another user wrote: It actually gives an idea why not all cities can go lock down from 10.00 pm till 05.00 am? Explaining the video, a third user commented saying, "Nature wants to bring itself back. Wonderful."

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Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, on Monday, once again addressed the state and spoke about the mob-lynching incident that took place in Palghar. He said that the state government has taken action and has arrested all the accused who attacked the two godmen, one driver and police personnel, on the day of the crime itself.

CM Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray addressing the State https://t.co/IicTWk6t7w

— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) April 20, 2020

Speaking about things being eased out in green and orange zones, Uddhav Thackeray said that the lockdown has not been lifted yet. "We have just tried to revolve the wheel of the economy a bit. I have heard that some people are treating the relaxation period as lifting of the lockdown. If they continue to behave in the same manner we'll take strict measures." he said.

Talking about the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra, Uddhav said that it has been six weeks since the first coronavirus positive case was detected in the state.

Uddhav also informed citizens that he spoke to Home Minister Amit Shah over the Palghar mob-lynching case. He also spoke about the steps taken by the Maharashtra state government in order to nab those involved in the crime.

We've suspended 2 policemen&appointed ADG CID Crime Atulchandra Kulkarni to investigate the matter. Over 100 persons arrested incl 5 main accused. There is nothing communal in this whole incident. I have spoken to Amit Shah ji this morning: Maharashtra CM on Palghar incident https://t.co/ONKnhXzD0s

— ANI (@ANI) April 20, 2020

Divulging furthermore into details about the Palghar incident in his speech, Uddhav Thackeray said, "We have suspended two policemen and appointed ADG CID Crime Atulchandra Kulkarni to investigate the matter. Over 100 persons including the five main accused have been arrested so far. There no communal angle in this entire incident," he stated.

With inputs from Agencies

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As and when the present lockdown norms are lifted, over 10,000 private bus owners have decided to inform the Kerala government, that they will not be operating their buses, as strict social distancing norms will leave them reeling in losses. The bus owners points out that even without any such norms, they are incurring heavy losses and with this new scenario, they will be unable to operate.

Hence they will request the Transport Department to keep the buses in the garage and under the G Form application, they will not have to pay the road taxes also, as the buses will not be operating. State Transport Minister A.K.Saseendran said that their concerns are genuine under the new circumstances.

"Since I alone am unable to take a decision, we will bring this before the Chief Minister and the cabinet. This situation would also be applicable to the state-run transport department also. Things are not that easy," said Saseendran.

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Central teams, which were tasked to check preparedness of districts with a high load of Coronavirus cases, found that infection prevention control practices were not properly followed in several hospitals raising concerns over safety of healthcare workers, official sources said.

Six high-level multi-disciplinary teams were constituted by the Union health ministry to assist and review state health departments for proper implementation of cluster containment plans for large outbreaks and check hospital preparedness for COVID-19. Teams comprising experts from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), AIIMS and ICMR among others visited states, including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu, which have high case load districts. They visited the stated between second and third week of April.

"They have observed that infection prevention control practices were not being followed properly during sample collection and treatment of confirmed cases raising concerns over the possibility of healthcare workers getting infected and leading to further transmission," the sources said. They have recommended that such infection prevention control guidelines should be strictly followed in hospitals. Several healthcare workers have been infected by COVID-19 across the country. Asked about the number of infected healthcare personnel, an official said no such centralised data has been maintained.

No April, May pay for Spicejet staff

SpiceJet told its pilots that they will not be paid salaries for April and May, and said those who have been operating cargo flights will get paid for "block hours flown". SpiceJet's flight operations chief, Gurcharan Arora told pilots through an email that "as of today, 16 per cent of our aircraft and 20 per cent of our pilots are flying".

Jamaatis asked to donate plasma

Tablighi Jamaat members, who got cured of COVID-19, have been asked by their organisation to donate their plasma for treatment of other COVID-19-infected patients, a move that the outfit thinks will help it shed its "villain" tag. "Maulana Saad, in an open letter on April 21 has appealed them to donate their plasma to help others. The message has reached all the members," Maulana Anees Ahmad Nadvi, the manager of Tablighi Jamaat's Lucknow branch, told PTI on Wednesday.

Punjab extends lockdown; 10 held in Kolkata

. The Kerala government on Wednesday decided to issue an ordinance empowering it to deduct salaries of its employees to mobilise funds to fight COVID-19 in the state.

. The spread of COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu is "largely under control" due to the implementation of various government guidelines, but the contagion is "easily" spreading in this city due to its large population, cm, K Palaniswami said.

. Nine new cases of Coronavirus have been confirmed in Karnataka, taking the total number of infections in the state to 532, the health department said.

. Ten persons were arrested on Wednesday for allegedly assaulting policemen enforcing lockdown in the Coronavirus red zone of Howrah district last evening. According to a senior official of the Howrah police commissionerate, a total of 10 persons have been arrested and three cases under different sections of the IPC and other penal laws have been lodged against the accused.

. Punjab CM, Captain Amarinder Singh has announced to extend the curfew for two more weeks to check the spread of Coronavirus in the state.

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Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said that not more than 50 people would be allowed at wedding functions and not more than 20 people could attend the last rites of a deceased person.

#WATCH Delhi is ready to re-open now...We will not be able to sustain the lockdown for long as the economy is in peril. The revenue has fallen from Rs 3500 Crores in April month of previous years to Rs 300 Crores this year. How will government function?: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal pic.twitter.com/jKzVp0959b

— ANI (@ANI) May 3, 2020

"Not more than 50 people are allowed at wedding functions and not more than 20 at last rites of a deceased person," said Kejriwal during a video conference. "The Center's decision of lockdown on March 24 was very important. If we had not implemented the lockdown, then the situation in the country could have been horrific now," he added.

He further said: "That time the country was not ready to fight COVID19. We had no idea of social distancing. Neither the people nor hospitals were ready. We had no personal protective equipment kits or testing kits either." The CM said that they would not be able to sustain the lockdown for long as the economy is in peril.

"The revenue has fallen from Rs 3,500 crore in April month of the previous years to Rs 300 crore this year. How will the government function?" The Delhi government will take strict action against those found spitting at public places," he added.

As per the latest update by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the total number of positive cases of coronavirus in Delhi is 4,122, including 1,256 recovered/migrated and 64 deaths.

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Another gas leakage from LG Polymers in Visakhapatnam late Thursday triggered panic in areas near the plant and forced people to move to safe places.

Fumes were seen billowing out of the chemical plant, where the gas leakage in the early hours of the day claimed 11 lives and affected over 300 others.

People from Gopalpatnam, Simhachalam and Pinagadi areas, which are four km away from the plant, were seen moving to safe places.

The gas smell sent panic in certain areas late Thursday night. Many people rushed out of their houses and were seen heading to safer places by their vehicles.

Local police at few places advised people to move to safe places as a precautionary measure.

Officials, however, said the gas emission was continuing since the major leakage around 3.45 a.m. on Thursday.

Visakhapatnam Police Commissioner R K Meena said there was no need for panic. "Efforts are going on to neutralize the gas leak. There is no danger," he said.

The police commissioner hoped that the work to plug the emissions will be completed in a couple of hours.

About 12,000 people from RR Venkatapuram and four other villages were evacuated after the leakage early Thursday.

Visakhapatnam District Fire Officer Sandeep Anand said 10 fire engines and two foam fighters were kept ready in the plant. He said some ambulances were also on standby as a precautionary measure.

Meanwhile, a cargo flight carrying a team of experts and PTBC inhibitor, an antidote for styrene, landed in Visakhapatnam late Thursday.

The experts in chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) disaster are likely to begin the operation to plug the emissions after assessing the situation at the plant.

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New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Friday issued notices to LG Polymers, Union Environment Ministry, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and others regarding the Vizag gas leak incident.

The NGT has directed LG Polymers, India, at whose plant the gas leakage occurred, to forthwith deposit an initial amount of Rs 50 crore taking note of damages caused due to the incident.

Further hearing in the matter is scheduled for May 18.

On Thursday, a styrene gas leak at the plant of LG Polymers in RR Venkatapuram village in Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh had claimed 11 lives.

NGT's principal bench headed by its Chairperson AK Goel also issued notice to Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (PCB) and District Magistrate of Vishakhapatnam.

The Tribunal has also sought a report from a 5-member committee comprising former Judge of Andhra Pradesh High Court, Justice B Seshasayana Reddy, Former Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University, Professor Ch V Rama Chandra Murthy, Head of Chemical Engineering Department of Andhra University, Professor Pulipati King, CPCB Member Secretary and Director of CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology.

NGT said that the committee may visit and inspect the site at the earliest and give its report before the next date via email and site visit may be initially conducted by members available locally in consideration with outside members online.

It said that the committee may specifically report on the sequence of events, causes of failure, the extent of damage to life, human and environment, steps to be taken for compensation of victims and restitution of the damaged property among others.

The bench has directed the District Magistrate of Vishakhapatnam and Regional Office of Andhra Pradesh PCB to provide logistic support to the Committee to enable their fact-finding and reporting.

It took suo-motu cognisance on the basis of media reports on the leakage of hazardous gas, Styrene from a chemical factory owned by the South Korean company LG Polymers. The incident has caused damage to the environment and habitat.

Styrene gas is a hazardous chemical and as per rules, it requires on-site and off-site emergency plans to ensure prevention of damage.

NGT noted that there appears to be a failure to comply with the rules and other statutory provisions and leakage of hazardous gas at such a scale adversely affecting public health and environment clearly attracts the principle of 'Strict Liability' against the enterprise engaged in a hazardous or inherently dangerous industry.

"Such an entity is liable to restore the damage caused under the Environment Law, apart from other statutory liability. The statutory authorities responsible for authorizing and regulating such activities may also be accountable for their lapses, if any, in dealing with the matter," the NGT said.

Stressing that it is necessary to ascertain the facts relating to the extent of damage, the extent of the failure and consider remedial measures, the bench listed the matter for May 18 for further hearing.

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While the Union government plans to help more than two lakh migrants to return home, it is the West Bengal government that is not supporting their cause and is not allowing trains carrying migrants to reach the state, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said in a letter to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Shah claimed that migrants from West Bengal are eager to reach home, but the state government has not been allowing the trains to enter the state. "This is injustice with West Bengal migrant labourers. This will create further hardship for them," Shah said.

He claimed that the central government has been trying to aid more than two lakh migrants to return back to their home states, but it is only West Bengal that has not supported the initiative. "Migrants from West Bengal are also eager to reach home. Central govt is facilitating but we are not getting expected support from West Bengal," Shah wrote.

In the wake of demands by different state governments to run special trains to ferry people stuck in various states, Indian Railways on May 1 had said that it will run special trains from Friday itself to move labourers, pilgrims, tourists and students stranded across the country.

Railways Executive Director (Media) R.D. Bajpai had then said in a statement that as per the guidelines issued by Ministry of Home Affairs, it was decided to run "Shramik Special" trains to return migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students, and others to their native states.

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"Extraction" director and popular Hollywood stunt coordinator Sam Hargrave feels cinema has space for either "super big-budget movies like superheroes" or smaller movies, saying that it doesn't leave much room for mid-budget action movies.

Talking about his upcoming Netflix action film, Hargrave told IANS: "It seems that there's not as much space in the cinemas for these kinds of mid-budget action movies. It seems that it's mostly the super big-budget superhero movies or the kind of the smaller stuff."

Hargrave is glad that his first movie will reach a wider audience through Netflix.

"Netflix has carved out space for itself for movies like these to exist, which I think is really great… Because there are a lot of great stories out there… These kinds of movies, now, have a place to be seen, be viewed and be enjoyed," he said.

With "Extraction", Hargrave is graduating from being Chris Evans' stunt double in "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" for fight scenes and stunt coordinator in "Captain America: Civil War" to a feature director. Hargrave was an additional second unit director in "Avengers: Infinity War".

Hargrave continued: "I think that's a really great thing for audiences around the world. I'm happy that my first time directing (feature film) come out on a platform like Netflix where so many people can see this. It is a very unique experience and one that I'm looking forward to seeing how it all plays out when it comes out on April 24."

For his first film, Hargrave reunited with his "Avengers" family. He got "Thor" star Chris Hemsworth to lead the film, screenplay of which is done by Joe Russo. The film is produced by Russo Brothers (Joe and Anthony Russo), Mike Larocca, Chris Hemsworth, Eric Gitter, and Peter Schwerin.

Originally titled "Dhaka", the film also stars Indian actors Randeep Hooda, Pankaj Tripathi, Priyanshu Painyulli, and Rudraksh Jaiswal. It revolves around Tyler Rake (essayed by Hemsworth), a fearless, black market mercenary, who embarks on the most deadly extraction of his career when he is enlisted to rescue the kidnapped son of an imprisoned international crime lord. It has been shot extensively in India, along with other places around the world.

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"Fifty Shades of Grey" star Jamie Dornan says he aims to do a variety of cinema and does not want to restrict himself to a particular genre. In an interview with Variety, the 37-year-old actor said he wants to keep challenging himself as he goes ahead.

"I think I have a stronger sense of what's not right for me. And one thing with this job is to challenge myself and one thing is to keep a very large element of variety. I just wouldn't and I'm not trying to discredit anyone who's in this world but I just couldn't be an actor who does action film after action film or, indeed, who does comedy after comedy," Dornan.

The actor, who found global fame with "Fifty Shades" film series, said for him, acting is an opportunity to play different characters. He, however, maintained that he is not averse to an action film.

"I'm not closed off to being in an action movie. I just don't want to do four a year. If one comes along and speaks to me, then yes, sure. And I think I've been lucky in everything post-'Fifty Shades'. "There's a lot in the market of the USD 5 to USD 15 million budget movie. And I personally believe that's where the best scripts are. I've done things like 'Anthropoid' or 'A Private War' and some of these movies, I'm really proud of. I'm just lucky they came my way because of the box office success of 'Fifty Shades'," Dornan added.

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Hollywood star Hugh Jackman says he won't return as Wolverine in any of the future "X-Men" films. Jackman, who tasted international stardom as Wolverine in his first Hollywood movie, admitted he departed the franchise at the right time.

He added that he is looking forward to some other actor take up the character of the adamantium-clawed mutant in a potential new take. "It was the right time for me to leave the party ¿ not just for me, but for the character. Somebody else will pick it up and run with it. It's too good of a character not to," Jackman told The Daily Beast.

The actor played Wolverine in the X-Men film series from 2000 to 2018, for which he holds the Guinness World Record for "longest career as a live-action Marvel superhero". His last turn as the mutant was "Logan", the 2017 sequel to "The Wolverine". The 51-year-old star said though a comeback sounds good, he would rather not return.

"It's kind of like, you're on your way home and your friend rings you and goes, 'Oh, dude, a new DJ just came on and the music is awesome, are you going to come back?' "And you say, 'Sounds good but¿ no.' They're fine with someone else," he said.

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American actor Chris Noth has made a drastic change during his coronavirus quarantine. The 65-year-old actor, on Monday took to Instagram to showcase his new look.

The 'Cast Away' star shared a picture of himself and captioned the post as, "I decided dealing with hair was superfluous during these times of quarantine."

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

I decided dealing with hair was superfluous during these times of quarantine-

A post shared by Chris Noth (@chrisnothofficial) onApr 20, 2020 at 12:49pm PDT

The fans were quick to compliment North on this new look.

One fan wrote in the comments section, "Omg, But looking good.

Another one wrote," It suits you!"

"Go off king," another follower wrote.

However, there were a few fans who didn't seem to love his new look, and wrote things like, "Noooooo," and "you look very different" in the comments.

Earlier this month, the 'Elsa and Fred' star shared a video message on Instagram, encouraging his fans to maintain social distancing.

The former 'Sex and the City ' star said in the video, "On behalf of the NYPD, I'd like to ask you to remember, as New Yorkers, we have to social distance, we have to stay inside until all of this passes. We can do it. We're tough, we're resilient and we have the best darn police force in the country."

"I'm not a cop, but I played one on TV. Stay safe, stay healthy, see you on the other side," he added.

"Jurassic Park" child star Joe Mazzello says he is not coming back to the franchise yet. Mazzello as a child essayed the role of Tim Murphy, grandson of the park founder John Hammond, in 1993's "Jurassic Park" and the 1997 sequel "The Lost World: Jurassic Park". Recently, actor Chris Pratt said that the original cast is slated to return for "Jurassic World 3".

According to a source, Mazzello hasn't yet been contacted by the studio to reprise his role in the film franchise, reports pagesix.com.

"I hope we get to find out someday (what happens to Tim)," Mazzello told fans during a YouTube Q&A recently after watching the movie on a live-stream together.

The 36-year-old then hinted that he wasn't reprising his character, saying: "I do think about it all the time because there's so much I think that you could like do with this character."

He said: "Like, he was like sort of the obvious heir to, like, John Hammond's fortune. He was the heir to Jurassic Park and, like, would this experience have turned him away from dinosaurs and make him hate dinosaurs?

"I do think it would be amazing to see what happened to Tim Murphy, you know as an adult, and I don't know … there's so much you can do with that character and yeah, you never know, but maybe one day we'll be able to find out," he added. "They got to make a lot more movies, that's what I'm saying, OK? A lot more films," he added.

According to the source, "millions of 'Jurassic Park' fans have been extremely upset" since Mazzello made the remarks.

"This character is iconic and part of so many of the fans' lives. Joe's comments alluded that there needed to be more movies in order for his character to possibly come back. It's not up to Joe, it's up to the studio and director if they want the entire original cast or not," added the source.

The film has "no set timetable to start production" amid the ongoing coronavirus shutdown. It has a tentative release date of June 11, 2021.

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Singer Katy Perry, who is expecting a baby with fiance Orlando Bloom, says she misses drinking alcoholic beverages during pregnancy. The 35-year-old star made the comment while filming a Facebook Live video, reports dailymail.co.uk.

She told fans: "I'm not complaining, but I can't drink because I'm pregnant. Some of you already have a cocktail getting ready or you have your favourite IPA. Or your favourite rye whiskey or your favourite white wine or rosé or whatever your favourite drink is. I mean, honestly, just Bud Light with a little lime, I'm very excited for the future when that can happen. Which will be years, probably."

During the chat, she also admitted she probably wasn't going to be able to have a baby shower due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"I know not everyone does a babymoon or a baby shower. But I'm not sure I'm gonna be able to do any of that," she said.

She continued: "I'm just taking it one day at a time. But I'll be grateful. I mean, I'm grateful now, but there's a lot going on."

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Pune: A 18-year-old student along with his three friends on Saturday threatened a tuition teacher with a revolver for advising a girl to not to go out with him. The Boisar police arrested the youth and his accomplice and confiscated three country-made revolver and ten bullets.

According to Hindustan Times, the alleged incident occurred in Boisar, where the accused identified as Manish Tiwari, a college student, threatened his tuition teacher Ranbir Paswan with country-made pistols. The four accused studies English in Paswan's tuition.

The alleged incident occurred after Tiwari reportedly asked the girl, who also studies in the same tuition, out for Dahanu beach. The girl then complained to Paswan about the incident, to which he suggested to ignore Tiwari and concentrate on her studies.

When Tiwari learned about Paswan's advice to the girl, he and his three friends went to Paswan's class the same evening and threatened him with country-made pistols saying that he would kill him if he did not let the girl go out with him, said the spokesperson of the Palghar police, Hemant Katkar.

Following the incident, Paswan approached the Boisar police station and registered a complaint against Tiwari and his accomplices.

Acting on the complaint, some police personnel was sent to the class in civil clothes. When the accused returned to the class, the police caught the accused and his allies. Three country-made revolvers and ten bullets were confiscated from them.

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A 26-year-old IT professional from a reputed firm here allegedly hanged himself after naming two colleagues in his suicide note, police said on Friday. Chetan Jayale, who was working in Hinjawadi IT Park, hanged himself at his rented accommodation on Wednesday, an official said.

"We have recovered a suicide note in which he has named two of his senior managers and alleged that he was subjected to mental harassment by them and that is why he was taking this step," a Chaturshringi police station official said.

"On Wednesday, while his room mates went to work, Jayale, who had taken an off from office, remained at home. He then hanged himself," he said. A case has been registered against the two persons named in Jayale's suicide note, he added. "While one official is in UK, the other is working here," he added.

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2 years ago, on this day, Sonam Kapoor and Anand Ahuja tied the knot, after dating each other for 2 years.  That Sonam was dating a 'London based businessman', surfaced on the internet for the longest time, but the duo remained tight-lipped about their relationship until it was time to make it official. Sonam and Anand had a traditional, Punjabi wedding in Mumbai, and of course, a star-studded one.

She took to Instagram to write the sweetest anniversary wish for the husband, and also shared with us the first photo they clicked together, 4 years back. Her caption tells us how she was impressed with Anand from their very first meet and found him 'unbelievably cool and sexy'. "Your compassion, kindness, generosity and smarts are incredibly attractive but so is your moodiness and your annoying perfectionism. Thank you for being my partner and standing besides me for these 4 years. They have been my most fulfilling. Happy happy anniversary husband. I’m soo thrilled I get to keep you for the rest of my life," Sonam wrote.

 

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Our first picture together.. 4 years ago today I met a vegan who could do complicated yoga positions and speak about retail and business with the same ease. I found him unbelievably cool and sexy., he still makes my heart race and grounds me at the same time. Nothing compares to you @anandahuja , your compassion, kindness, generosity and smarts are incredibly attractive but so is your moodiness and your annoying perfectionism. Thank you for being my partner and standing besides me for these 4 years. They have been my most fulfilling. Happy happy anniversary husband. I’m soo thrilled I get to keep you for the rest of my life. I love you the most and I know you love me the best and the most. That I promise you is the greatest gift I’ve ever received. ❤️ #everydayphenomenal

A post shared by Sonam K Ahuja (@sonamkapoor) on May 7, 2020 at 7:58pm PDT

Sister Rhea Kapoor also wished the couple on their anniversary, on Instagram. She shared a video consisting of some of their adorable moments, and wrote, "Happy anniversary family, I hope every tomorrow is the best day of your lives".

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Happy anniversary family, I hope every tomorrow is the best day of your lives. @sonamkapoor @anandahuja love you!

A post shared by Rhea Kapoor (@rheakapoor) on May 7, 2020 at 8:41pm PDT

Sonam and Anand are presently at the latter's Delhi house since they returned from London and quarantined themselves. Quite sue they're celebrating the day in their own way in the company of each other!

When India started seeing a spike in coronavirus cases in March, the theatres were the first to shut shop in the country and will probably be the last to open as well. This uncertainty over theatres functioning like before has led to several producers considering to release their films directly on OTT platforms skipping the theatrical release. OTT platforms are taking full advantage of this situation and are said to be offering large sums of money to filmmakers.

The boost in OTT platforms has several doubting the fate of theatrical businesses in the future. On Friday, filmmaker Anubhav Sinha who has made films like Article 15 and Thappad took to Twitter and said that nothing will change with the theatrical business and even compared it to the recent chaos outside liquor shops. "Nothing will change the theatrical business in India. NOTHING!!! Here the big blockbusters are not only about the film. It is an event. It is a community event. It won’t change. I hope you saw the liquor shop queues," he wrote.

Nothing will change the theatrical business in India. NOTHING!!! Here the big blockbusters are not only about the film. It is an event. It is a community event. It won’t change. I hope you saw the liquor shop queues.

— Anubhav Sinha (@anubhavsinha) May 8, 2020

Meanwhile, it is being reported that this year's Eid releases- Radhe and Laxmmi Bomb might be looking for a direct to OTT release. Makers of Akshay Kumar starrer Laxmmi Bomb are currently in talks to release the film in June on Hotstar. However, the makers are yet to make an official announcement regarding the same. On the other hand, the makers of Radhe-Your Most Wanted Bhai will take a decision after they complete post-production.

ALSO READ: Laxmmi Bomb to get a direct to OTT release on Disney+Hotstar in June

John Abraham is known for his fitness, his love for bikes and action movies. During the lockdown, the actor has been working out at home regularly. The actor said that the quarantine period is not difficult for him as he has never been the person who goes out.

Talking to a daily, John Abraham said that for him life in quarantine and without is the same. Barring motorcycles and shooting, the actor has never been the person who goes out. He said that he is someone who is not wholly dependent on social media and neither looking at social media to influence his actions. He said that he does not need to validate what he is doing and feels a sense of liberation there.

John Abraham said that creating new content has been on his mind throughout the lockdown. He has been reading a lot and has been in touch with his team constantly in the process of creating good content.

Meanwhile, John Abraham had completed 50 % of the shooting of his upcoming film Attack. He said that he is working with people from South Africa and England and are at the mercy of the international flights and their dates to when they can resume. Mumbai Saga has 3-4 days left, while Satyameva Jayate 2 is to begin.

ALSO READ: John Abraham reveals he will not be comfortable acting in an adult comedy

Former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder David Beckham rates Barcelona's Lionel Messi higher than Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo succeeded Beckham as Manchester United's No. 7 before arriving at Real Madrid two years after the England captain left the Spanish giants.

Beckham has also experience of playing against a young Lionel Messi in the latter's initial years with Barcelona and faced him once while he was playing for Paris St Germain. "He [Messi] is alone in his class as a player, it is impossible that there is another like him," Beckham told Telam.

David Beckham

"He, like Cristiano Ronaldo, who is not at his level, are both above the rest." Beckham recalled his last match against Barcelona in the quarter-final of the 2013 Champions League. PSG were ahead at one stage at Camp Nou when Messi came on as a substitute. Eventually, Pedro scored and Barca went through on the away goals rule.

"We were leading before Messi came in, and once he came in, Barcelona scored," Beckham said. He was 37 years old by then and ended his illustrious playing career at the end of the season but Beckham said that he did not enjoy losing that tie.

"Although I enjoyed playing at that level at my age, I do not like to lose. Our team played well. In both matches, we did things we should be proud of. We didn't lose against Barcelona, and that is something that should motivate us," he said.

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Wayne Rooney may be Manchester United and England's record goalscorer but he still believes he should have found the back of the net more often during his career, even though he was not a natural finisher. Rooney, a teenage sensation at Everton, joined United in 2004 and went on to score 253 goals in 559 appearances during a 13-year spell for the Old Trafford club that saw the Red Devils pile up the trophies. Rooney surpassed 1966 World Cup-winner Bobby Charlton as United's all-time leading scorer, just as he did for England with a tally of 53 goals from 120 caps.

Despite those figures Rooney, writing in his Sunday Times column, insisted: "I'm going to be honest -- and this might surprise you -- but I'm not a natural goalscorer." The 34-year-old, now a player-coach at second-tier Derby County, added: "I was never a Gary Lineker or a Ruud van Nistelrooy; I never looked at myself that way. "I hold the goal records for Manchester United and England and am very proud about that -- yet there have been better No 9s than me. "How did I become a record-breaker if I wasn't a natural scorer? Time," Rooney explained. "I played for United for 13 years, England for 15 years. I had time to break those records -- and looking back I should have scored more."

Rooney backed Harry Kane to break his England record, although he would like the Tottenham Hotspur striker "to stay high as that No 9" after seeing him drop deeper in during the past two seasons. "I don't think it will take long for Harry Kane to claim my England record and it would be a proud moment for me," Rooney said. "I've never been a selfish player and it would be great for England for Harry to get there. Bobby Charlton had to wait 50 years (for Rooney to break his England record) -- I hope it's not so long for me. "The United record might last longer simply because players don't stay at clubs as long as they used to. "Mind you, if (Lionel) Messi or (Cristiano) Ronaldo came to Old Trafford for a swansong they'd probably break it in three or four years."

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Spanish League LaLiga President Javier Tebas has made it clear that cancelling the 2019/20 season is not an option and they are exploring various options and scenarios as the situation develops amid the ongoing outbreak of novel coronavirus. Spain's football industry is one of many-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and like any other sector, next steps will depend on the advice of health authorities. "Nulling and voiding the season is not an option on the table. But we are reviewing multiple scenarios, such as what happens if we play behind closed doors and what happens if we play with crowds and what happens if games aren't played," Tebas told reporters on videocall.

"We have to look at all possibilities, but we're not working towards a situation where we don't complete the season. "We're looking to ensure the best health conditions for players for when they resume training and we're looking to reduce the economic risk. "This is a health pandemic, but also an economic pandemic," he added.

The league President provided figures for each of these situations, outlining that the estimated total economic impact for not resuming the season would be 1bn euros. Completing the season behind closed doors would lead to losses of 300m euros and it would be 150m euros for resuming it with fans after this delay. On the likelihood of matches being resumed behind closed doors, Tebas said: "We will not have fans until the health authorities allow it. The decision does not depend on LaLiga or the clubs. We know it can affect future seasons so we are calculating the potential impact."

Tebas explained that LaLiga is considering all of the finer details that various scenarios could entail, such as whether or not matches can be held at the usual stadiums due to planned renovation works, the need to extend player contracts, pending fees due to clubs from past transfers, maintaining Financial Fair Play rules, payments from broadcasters and the knock-on effects for the 2020/21 season.

Tebas also mentioned that the last weekend of May is the first possible date for LaLiga to resume, with European competitions playing in July. A later option would be for LaLiga and European competitions to start on June 6 and play an alternating schedule. Finally, LaLiga and other domestic leagues could start on June 28 with European competitions starting again in August after the domestic leagues finish.

"We can't put an exact date on when we'll return as the Spanish government's health authorities have to set that," he said. "There are two options for organising the schedules, one with domestic leagues at the weekends and European matches midweek or another option is to work towards finishing the domestic leagues first." The league President also underlined that the football industry plays a major role in Spain's economy. It accounts for 1.37 percent of Spain's GDP and an estimated 185,000 jobs, meaning that any losses suffered could have a domino effect elsewhere.

"The most important aspect of this is that we protect our future," Tebas noted. "What we're working towards here is to save the future of football."

"By acting now, we can ensure that we have a sustainable model," he added."We will not forget the responsibilities we have to everyone."

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João Félix exploded onto the scene at Benfica in 2018 before a huge summer move to LaLiga with Atlético de Madrid. Here are five things you may not know about the Portuguese superstar...

1. His idol while growing up was Kaká
The similarities between the two are clear, both in playing style and appearance… brothers, anyone? But what isn’t so known is that Kaka was actually one of Joao Felix’s biggest idols growing up: the young Felix has spoken of watching YouTube video after YouTube video of the former World Player of the Year. The 20-year-old has also named Portuguese legend Rui Costa among his other inspirations while growing up.

2. Both his parents are teachers
Carlos and Carla, Joao’s parents, are both physical education teachers and he credits them with keeping him centred growing up. He has explained in interviews that his father would give him pep talks before matches and helped him stay focused during his teenage years; at the age of just 13 years he moved away from home to FC Porto’s academy, before later making the move to the capital with Benfica.

3. His first hat-trick in the Europa League was record-breaking
In April 2019, Joao hit the headlines across Europe with a stunning performance for Benfica in a Europa League match against Eintracht Frankfurt. By scoring three times in a 4-2 victory, he became the youngest ever player to score a hat-trick in the Europa League, doing so at the age of just 19 years and 152 days. That broke the previous record set by Marko Pjaca in 2014.

4. Diego Costa has taken him under his wing
From the start of pre-season, Joao and Diego Costa have forged a strong relationship. Costa is known to be a leader in the Atlético de Madrid dressing room and he quickly took the new arrival from Benfica under his wing, spending a lot of time with him and partnering with him in various drills. Both players are native Portuguese speakers, and this has helped the youngster settle in. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that it was Costa who assisted Joao’s first official goal for Atleti, against Eibar back in September.

5. His brother Hugo is also a highly rated prospect
Hugo Felix, João’s 16-year-old brother, is also highly rated and is doing well at Benfica’s academy. João was even able to celebrate goals with his brother last season, as Hugo was a ball boy at the Estádio da Luz on some matchdays. One particular goal that he scored against Vitória Setúbal ended with an emotional embrace between the siblings.

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From a childhood nickname to his world champion horse, these are some of the lesser-known facts about the Real Madrid captain and legend

1. His nickname as a child was Schuster
As a child, Sergio played up front and was nicknamed ‘Bernd Schuster’ after the great German goalscorer by the friends he played with on the grass outside his apartment block. He’d go on to play in defence throughout his career, at right-back and centre-back, but has maintained his brilliant goalscoring ability. Coincidentally, he was even coached by Schuster at Real Madrid between 2007 and 2008.

2. He’s only ever worn the number 4 shirt at Real Madrid, but never for Spain…
When Ramos arrived at Real Madrid, he was touted to fill the void left by the departing legend Fernando Hierro. Ramos wasn’t shy about taking on the challenge and adopted Hierro’s famous No.4 jersey from day one. That has been the number on his back during his entire decade-and-a-half career at the Santiago Bernabéu. Funnily enough though, Ramos picked a different number for when he plays with the Spanish national team: 15.

3. He has never scored for Spain at a major tournament
Sergio is Spain’s all-time record appearance holder (170) and has scored 21 goals for his country, a mightily impressive tally for a defender. Bizarrely enough, though, he’s never scored for Spain at a major tournament. Each of his 21 strikes has come in qualification rounds, in friendlies, or in the UEFA Nations League. Beyond penalty shootouts, he’s never scored at a World Cup, European Championship or even the Confederations Cup.

4. He didn’t win a Champions League knockout tie until the age of 25
Ramos has four Champions League titles to his name, winning the tournament in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018. He may undoubtedly be one of the all-time greats of the competition, but it’s easy to forget that he didn’t reach the competition’s quarter-final until the age of 25. He never played in the Champions League with Sevilla, then his first few years at Real Madrid coincided with a barren spell for the capital city club in which they were consistently knocked out in the first knock-out phase. Finally, in 2010/11 after the arrival of Jose Mourinho, Ramos made it to his first quarter-final, against Tottenham Hotspur. He’s certainly overcome that initial disappointment as the years have gone on.

5. His horse Yucatán de Ramos is a world champion
Like any true Andalusian, Sergio loves horses and has done since childhood. He owns stables near his hometown of Seville, and Yucatan de Ramos, his star horse, won a world championship at the 2018 Interntional PRE Horse Fair recognising it as the finest pure-bred Spanish horse in the world.

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Rafael Nadal thinks the global nature of tennis means there is little chance tournaments will go ahead any time soon as sport continues to be paralysed by the coronavirus pandemic. Novak Djokovic also anticipates a lengthy delay before tennis can be played even behind closed doors, with the world number one expecting players to have to wait a "few months". The French Open, which Nadal has won a record 12 times, has been postponed until September, shortly after the US Open, while Wimbledon was cancelled earlier this month for the first time since World War II.

But the prospect of either grand slams at Roland Garros or Flushing Meadows being played with fans appears increasingly remote. "Tennis is a global sport," Nadal told Spanish radio station Onda Cero on Wednesday night. "We go from country to country and a lot of people have to move around.
"It seems difficult to me for any big tournament to be played in the short or medium term."

Football's major leagues are preparing to play behind closed doors for several weeks to complete their seasons and avoid losing considerable sums of money from broadcasting contracts. But tennis tournaments are more reliant on fans for their income, making it more complicated to stage competitions in empty stadiums. "It is not an easy decision," Djokovic told the same programme.

"I am ready but I think we have to wait a few months." "If you could play behind closed doors, I would be delighted but I think it's very difficult," added Nadal.

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Former chief of the Swiss Tennis Federation, Sven Groeneveld has revealed that tennis champ Roger Federer was advised not to pursue his now wife, Mirka Vavrinec, when he first met her at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.

Mirka, who was also a professional tennis player and part of the Switzerland squad in Sydney, went on to partner Roger at the 2002 Hopman Cup.

However, in 2000, Roger's friends were initially against him getting together with her. "Roger asked everyone if he should go out with her. Everyone advised him against it. But as Federer did it, now it shows that it was the best decision of his life," Sven said on former tennis player Christopher Kas's online show, Kasi Live.

Mirka eventually retired from tennis in 2002 due to a foot injury.

Roger and Mirka got married in 2009 and have two sets of twins, daughters Myla and Charlene, nine, and sons Lenny and Leo, five.

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For mid-air thrills
If you love the rush of adrenaline, sign up for Sky Waltz Balloon Safari near Pune (also available at Kamshet). Spend an hour in the air in a hot air balloon, where organisers can also make special arrangements for a planned marriage proposal or birthday celebration. It's run by licensed commercial hot air balloon operators authorised by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
On: date as per choice meet
At: Hotel Orritel, Talegaon.
Log on to: insider.in
Cost: Rs 6,800 onwards

For an aerial view
If your partner is bored of exploring the same old sights in the city, book a view from the top in a helicopter joyride. On offer are 10- to one-hour rides with routes that will cover the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, Dadar, Mahalaxmi, Haji Ali, Girgaum Chowpatty, airport, Filmcity, Pagoda, Marine Drive and other attractions.
On: date as per choice
Meet at: Juhu
Log on to: accretionaviation.com
Cost: Rs 8,250 onwards

For lilting tunes
If you are a music buff, take your beloved to scout for old records at The Revolver Club, which has a vast library of vinyls from various genres. You can also head to the chaotic Chor Bazaar to scour for rare music finds. With your musical gift sorted, head to the historic Royal Opera House and attend a jazz performance by Karim Ellaboudi on piano, Adrian D'Souza on drums, Dee Wood on bass, and Shreya Bhattacharya on vocals.
At: The Revolver Club, Mahim; Chor Bazar, near Bhendi Bazaar; Opera House, Girgaum.

For a brush with the sea
Pick a day to explore the harbour of the city in an open sail boat by Small Steps Adventures. The weather makes it the perfect time to set sail before the summer starts. Pack a picnic basket and make it the perfect date with goodies cooked by you for your other half.
On: date as per choice
Meet at: Jetty no 5, Colaba.
Log on to: eventshigh.com
Cost: Rs 4,500 onwards

For a heritage class
If you dig the past and want to learn more about the city's ancient history, hike to Kanheri Caves in the heart of Sanjay Gandhi National Park. These rock-cut Buddhist monuments date back to 1st century BCE - 10th century CE. Another option is a ferry ride to the Elephanta Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage Site off the harbour, that house Hindu and Buddhist relics, the Trimurti relief (in pic) being the most popular sight.
How to reach: Take a train to Borivali (East, for the National Park); hail a taxi to the Gateway of India from CSMT or Churchgate (for a ferry ride to Elephanta Island).

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Are you planning a long distance travel or a long vacation? Confused what to take and how to pack all your belongings? Worry not, as experts like Shikhee Agrawal, (Head - Training, The Body Shop India) and, Shubhika Jain (Founder of RAS Luxury Oils), have listed 10 must-haves for long distance travel. Also, while travelling long distances, it is best to choose products which are more multi-purpose and carry essentials in travel-size bottles. 

Here are 10 such travel essentials you just cannot do without:

1. Face mask: A face mask is one of those essential and handy things that will make you feel better instantly when you are travelling. If you don't have space in the bag to pack your sleeping creams, a mask will help you wake up with refreshed and moist skin.

2. Face elixir: A face elixir with a blend of beauty oils with rose, sandalwood, frankincense, patchouli, rosehip and vetiver nourishes your skin, ensuring your face always has a gorgeously glowing, satin complexion. After your morning/evening cleansing ritual, take 2-3 drops in the palm of your hand and rub them together to warm before pressing gently onto your face and neck to infuse into the skin. These elixirs can be used as a handy to-go multi-purpose moisturiser when in need of hydration.

3. Cleanser: Don't forget to carry your skincare routine with you especially when it comes to cleanser. They can prevent multiple problems like dust. It will even help you remove make-up and moisturise skin.

4. BB cream: This cream is not just subjected to ultra-fine glow of the face anymore but also contains optimal SPF factor and acts as the skin perfecto and primer. It's best and sensible to avoid multiple products but simply replace it with a good BB cream for the radiance with protection.

5. Eye concentrate or serum: Travelling can make your dark circles appear big due to the long journey and lack of sleep. So an eye concentrate or serum is a must to be included during your daily skincare regime. Eye creams are usually enriched with ingredients which detoxify and reduce puffiness around the tired eyes.

6. Lena perfume bottles: When you need to select a scent for your vanity, pick up one in a travel-sized package. The lean bottles easily slip into your bag and will never spill.

7. SPF enriched lip balm: Lip balm with minimum SPF 15, keeps your pout nourished and soft with moisture boosting lip balm that contains a minimum of SPF 15.

8. Hand and foot cream: A hand and foot cream is a must for keeping every part of your body moisturised, with no rough sides. Travelling while caring for your skin is a must.

9. Lavender and geranium salt polish: For exfoliation, a lavender and geranium salt polish is a good, safe and natural choice. It is a perfect way to get rid of dry, dead skin which may have resulted from a sunburn or just not enough hydration. The salt polish can also be used as bath salts.

10. Use distinct pouches: Keep similar items together and it's best to use distinct pouches for everything and pack them right in the middle of your luggage so as to form a gentle cushion over them and to make sure that they don't get squeezed accidentally.

(Edited by mid-day online desk, with inputs from PTI)

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On the stage at the majestic Royal Opera House, artistes take their seat in a semicircle for what is an unusual gathering. At the centre is British radio and television presenter Nikki Bedi, who, along with familiarising her guests with the flow of the show is also breaking the ice between participants. They are here to record The Arts Hour, a BBC radio production that goes on a tour once a month to capture the best in arts across the world. The Mumbai edition airs today.

Actor Bhumi Pednekar (with Nikki Bedi to her right) calls out the boors behind Padmavati protests. Pics/Pic/Bipin Kokate

In the city on the evening of November 22, the researchers have picked six artistes who they feel best represent the dynamic cultural scene of the city. Flanking Bedi are film critic and director of the Mumbai Film Festival Anupama Chopra, and actor Bhumi Pednekar. Seated next to them are stand-up comedian, screenwriter and novelist Anuvab Pal, and Shamir Reuben, head of content and social media at the spoken word collective, Kommune. On either side of the stage, fine-tuning their arrangements are the popular Hindi rock ensemble Anand Bhaskar Collective and pop duo from Kolkata — with a big fan following in Mumbai — Parekh & Singh in signature fruity suits. "The show is a way of seeing a people and their culture, and understanding their politics and issues through the prism of art. Stand-up comedy and spoken word are burgeoning fields in Mumbai. There is also a sea change in the kind of subjects that Indian cinema is choosing. Issues like sanitation, erectile dysfunction and fat shaming are not just making it to film, they are also managing to attract audiences into theatres," says Bedi about why it was a good time to come to Mumbai.

Nischay Parekh readies to perform the band's hit song

For this edition's research, Bedi, who was born a Moolgaokar and has roots in Mumbai, played the fact checker for producer Nicki Paxman along with providing other insider inputs. A regular feature of the show, The Culture Cab, involves the presenter hailing a cab with an artiste who then takes her around the city to explore it like a local. Though her Mumbai guide was Pal, with whom she explored the splash of global colours at the ongoing Sassoon Docks art project and the murals of Bandra, Bedi shared her favourite part of the city with him, too — Walkeshwar's Banganga.

Throughout the recording that lasted two and a half hours, the team's homework kept the conversation alive and relevant. Bedi, a natural at hosting, puts her guests at ease. It comes across in Pednekar's candour, who minces no words when asked about the ongoing controversy around Padmavati. "You know, these are people who don't give a s**t about history," she says, a word Paxman gets politely replaced at the end of the show with the milder "damn". Bedi then moves on to ask Pal and Reuben if comedy and spoken word have become popular for similar reasons and how social media has played a part. With artistes as guests, each segment packs in a performance. While Pal's jibes about SoBo residents have the audience in splits, Reuben's poetry moves many to tears. Vocalist Nischay Parekh of Parekh & Singh shares the inspiration behind their music video with a million hits, I Love You Baby, I Love You Doll, before performing it, and Anand Bhaskar shares why all his compositions are in Hindi before segueing the show to its end with a rendition of Fanaa.

An audience member comments about the need to see more everyday people in films

Rahul Baswani, who came to know of the show through Pal's tweet, is happy to have made it in the audience. "I listen to a lot of podcasts. So, the most fascinating bit for me was towards the end when they did the retakes," he says. In the green room, mutual understanding and fandom fill the air. "At the end of the day, we are all artistes, and we could feel the synergy and a shared language throughout," says Parekh, who has just promised Pal that he'll be there for his Kolkata gig the next day, even as Pal admits that the music duo is everything he would have wanted to be as a 27-year-old.

The sound engineers at work

Chopra, on the other hand, is happy that the show recognises the power of Indian cinema and how it is evolving. "Outside India, there is a fixed notion of what Bollywood is. But there is a different language [spoken] now, which most people don't know of. I am hoping that the show will communicate that." For Reuben, it has been a platform for artistic exchange. "The beauty of tonight was people might have come to watch comedy and they learnt a bit about spoken word. Or that they wanted to hear a poem and they left with music," he says. "For the BBC to say that there is something stirring in Mumbai is a statement."

How do I convince my mother that my girlfriend is perfect for me? She keeps thinking I will find someone better, just because she doesn't understand her very well. I want the two of them to get along, because they are both important to me. How do I make this happen?
She won't understand her until the two of them spend some time together and make an attempt to. To begin with, ask your mother if she wants to understand your girlfriend, and explain to her why she must try. You can't understand another person until you are open enough to give another point of view an opportunity. Speak to them both and tell them why this is important to you.

My boyfriend was great during the first year we were together, but something has changed over the past couple of months. He is now openly abusive, which came as a shock to me because he was always polite and well-behaved before. He now abuses me the minute we have an argument and, when I ask him to stop saying stuff like that and behave himself, he abuses me even more. A week ago, he almost slapped me. I saw him raise his hand and then pull back, because he must have seen my reaction. He apologised the next day, but it didn't seem like a genuine apology. I am afraid of him now, because his temper is out of control. I don't want to be with someone abusive, who doesn't respect me and actually threatens me with physical violence. Is this reason enough for me to end this relationship?
It is. End it today. Don't spend a minute with anyone who doesn't respect you. If he threatens you with violence again, please walk into the nearest police station and file a complaint against him. Don't allow anyone to get away with this sort of behaviour. Relationships work only when there is mutual respect, and you deserve to be with someone who understands that.

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Team India boasts of a fast-bowling attack that skipper Virat Kohli says he is proud to lead. And the man who has been an integral part of the transformation of a young attack into world beaters is Mohammed Shami. Having started off under former skipper MS Dhoni, Shami is now the leader of the pack under Kohli. While bowlers tend to get slower as a Test match progresses, Shami is someone who gets better with each passing session and has time and again shown that he can be a match-winner in the second innings for Team India. So what is his area of focus when he has that ball in hand?

"I try to ensure that my pace doesn't fall below the 140kmph mark, but my focus is on the seam and swing. I have always tried to make sure that these two things remain perfect. I can bring pace with my physical strength and you can always work on it by doing strength training. But I have always given priority to swing and seam and never for a minute let them take a backseat," he smiles.

"As you keep playing, you learn a lot of things. It is all about following one process after the other. So, when you have learnt one trick and mastered it, you then move to the next one and work on that. In the beginning, I didn't have much idea about reverse swing. But slowly I came to understand what the process of reverse swing is all about and how it can be an integral part of a pace bowler's armoury," he explained.

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Controversial Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) general secretary Vinod Tihara is in a Meerut jail for allegedly violating GST norms, a development which has come to light a month after he went "incommunicado" and fuelled speculation of being self-isolated with symptoms of COVID-19. "A Delhi resident named Vinod Tihara was arrested by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) wing of Noida on March 17 on allegations of violations of GST norms and is currently in Meerut jail," SSP Meerut, Ajay Sahni, told PTI.

The SSP's version was later corroborated by Meerut Jail Superintendent Dr B P Pandey, who gave more details on the charges against Tihara. "Vinod Tihara, a resident of Delhi's Rohini has been in Meerut jail since March 17. The case no is 2/20 and he has been charged under Customs Act 132 and 135," Pandey said. Under Section 132 of Indian Customs Act, "if a person knowingly makes, signs or uses, or causes to be made, signed or used, any false declaration, statement or document in the transaction of any business relating to the customs, he shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2 years, or with fine, or with both."

Under section 135, there are multiple clauses and sub clauses dealing with "misdeclaration, fradulent evasion and carrying, concealing or purchasing goods which are liable to confiscation." There was no immediate clarity on the exact violation Tihara has been accused of committing. Tihara is Delhi cricket's representative at the BCCI and an influential figure in state's cricket body. He had been "unreachable" since mid-March leaving DDCA officials, including members of his faction, flummoxed.

"For the longest time, we were under the impression that Vinod ji has tested positive for COVID-19. One or two people who contacted his family members were told that he is under isolation. His phone is switched off for the past one month," a senior DDCA office-bearer told PTI. During a recent online hearing in a matter of financial misappropriation of funds, organised by DDCA ombudsman Justice (Retd) Deepak Verma via Skype, one of the body's lawyers, known for his proximity to Tihara, told the apex council members that he had tested positive for novel coronavirus.

"We all freaked out as we had met Tihara till March 15 at various places. We told him that why weren't we informed as we all needed to quarantine ourselves. "He then changed track and said that if you people would have been COVID-19 positive, then you would have known by now. It was very suspicious," the Apex Council member who was suspended that day, said.

In fact, some of the members are now wondering how did a letter signed by Tihara in support of one of the lawyers, whose service was being terminated, was submitted to Ombudsman, when all this while he had been in jail.

It is understood that because of the lockdown, his bail plea has been deferred.

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Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, who will turn 47 on Friday, will not celebrate his birthday due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis in the country.

A source close to Tendulkar revealed cricketer's decision to ANI.

The whole country is currently dealing with the COVID-19 crisis which has claimed more than 600 deaths so far in India. In an attempt to contain coronavirus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 14 extended the nationwide lockdown until May 3.

Several sports personalities have come forward to contribute to PM-CARES Fund to help the country combat coronavirus.

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Veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh is convinced that MS Dhoni will not play for India again, adding to the guessing game over the former captain's future. Dhoni, 38, has not appeared for club or country since last year's 50-over World Cup and India's Coronavirus lockdown could threaten his chances of getting back into the national team.

IPL-caused hurdle

The Indian Premier League, the main platform before this year's scheduled T20 World Cup, is likely to be truncated or cancelled because of the pandemic. Harbhajan, who plays with Dhoni at IPL side Chennai Super Kings, said that international retirement was on the cards for Dhoni and that he was increasingly being asked about his teammate. "It's up to him. You need to know whether he wants to play for India again," Harbhajan said in an online forum. "As far as I know him, he won't want to wear India's blue jersey again. IPL he will play, but for India I think he had decided the [2019] World Cup was his last."

Meanwhile, India's limited-overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma said he has no idea what's happening with elusive former captain Dhoni, about whom he hasn't heard anything since India's semi-final exit from the World Cup last year. With the IPL postponed indefinitely, the chances of an improbable India comeback look even more bleak for Dhoni, who has not played cricket for months now.

During an instagram chat with Harbhajan, Rohit said that he has "no news about Dhoni". "We don't know what's happening with him. We haven't heard any news about him. The last match of the World Cup was in July. From there, till now we haven't heard anything, I have no idea," Rohit said during the live chat.

'MS is off the radar'

In his typical tongue-in-cheek manner, Rohit said that anyone who wants to know about Dhoni should personally contact him. "When MS Dhoni is not playing cricket, he goes off radar. He goes underground. Whoever wants to know, can directly go to him, you know he stays in Ranchi. You can't go now but after the lockdown, you take a car, bike or flight go to his place and ask him 'What are you going to do? Will you play or not?" he quipped.

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Temperamental Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal was on Monday banned for three years by the PCB for failing to report corrupt approaches ahead of the country's premier T20 league this year. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had suspended the 29-year-old in February pending an anti-corruption investigation by its disciplinary panel.

The PCB charged him for two breaches of Article 2.4.4 of its Anti-Corruption Code in two unrelated incidents in February this year ahead of the Pakistan Super League -- a T20 event also featuring international cricketers. Akmal had decided against appealing against the charges last month. "Umar Akmal handed three-year ban from all cricket by Chairman of the Disciplinary Panel Mr Justice (retired) Fazal-e-Miran Chauhan," read a tweet from the official handle of the PCB's media department.

Akmal was suspended hours before his PSL team Quetta Gladiators was to take on Islamabad in the opening match of the 2020 edition. Reacting to the ban imposed on him, former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja said time has come to criminalise match-fixing. "So Umar Akmal officially makes it to the list of idiots! Banned for 3 years. What a waste of a talent! It's high time that Pakistan moved towards passing a legislative law against match fixing. Behind bars is where such jack asses belong! Otherwise brave for more!!"

Raja tweeted. Akmal is the younger brother of former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal, who played 53 Tests, 58 T20s, and 157 ODIs for Pakistan, and cousin of current captain Babar Azam. Akmal, who last played for Pakistan in October, has featured in 16 Tests, 121 ODIs and 84 T20s, scoring 1003, 3194 and 1690 runs respectively. Akmal promised a lot after making a hundred in New Zealand on his Test debut, but failed to live up to the high expectations that came with some fine performances early in his career. Constant run-ins with the authorities also marred his stop-start career. Akmal had earlier escaped a PCB ban in February for allegedly making crude remarks to a trainer during a fitness test at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.

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The coronavirus outbreak has brought the world to a standstill and sporting events across the globe have either been cancelled or suspended. And former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar has said that with the way things are going, live sporting action may return only after another 4-5 months.

"The way things are going we might not be able to see any live sport for maybe 4-5 months. That's gonna be tough not just on the current players but also those who follow sport," Gavaskar told India Today.

"There are so many fans of different sports, for them to be able to only look at the old action after a time it gets boring, for nostalgia you can go back and see what happened earlier but actually you wanna see live sport be it on television or ground and for that not being able to be seen till September that's a worrying thing and I am pretty certain that the officials of all the sports are planning plan a, b, c to get over this period of uncertainty," Gavaskar explained.

While there have been talks of holding an IPL behind closed doors, Gavaskar said that it should be the last option.

"I think that's gonna be absolutely the last resort otherwise you know when you can't have absolutely anyone at the ground only then you should play without crowds.

"Every performer likes to perform in front of a crowd which appreciates the skills and temperament. Same in theatre. So i think it's not going to be easy on the performers as well. Players also want to do the high fives and hugs."

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When Vikrant Keni, who led the Indian team to its maiden Physical Disability T20 World Series in England last year, and teammate Gurudas Raut were invited by BCCI president Sourav Ganguly & Co to the Cricket Centre on March 4 to receive the token cheque of R65 lakh as prize money for their flawless performance, their achhe din may have begun to look like coming true.

A few weeks later, India went into lockdown to fight against the dreadful Coronavirus and the 18-player team have not received their share of R3 lakh each. The Indian cricket board has yet to release the payment but say the players will receive their dues soon.

The Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) had approved the prize money for the Indian physically challenged team before their term ended last October. With most of the players from the T20 World Series-winning squad living a hand-to-mouth existence, they feel the BCCI prize money would make a huge difference to them especially in these COVID-19 pandemic-caused testing times.

All-rounder Ramesh Naidu, 24, whose father M Ramu earns R15,000 from driving cars at Vijaya Medical Centre in Visakhapatnam, is finding it difficult to cope with the lockdown. "My family is completely dependent on my father's income. It's difficult to manage during this period," said Naidu, who is in his last year of M Tech (Master of Technology) in Electrical Engineering at IIT Chennai. Naidu had taken an education loan of Rs 4.5 lakh.

Wasim Khan, who hails from the turbulent Kashmir region, was banking on the prize money to cope with the lockdown.

"With no job, it's quite tough to exist. My elder brother is a lawyer but he is without any work at the moment. We have some groceries at home but I don't know how long they will last. We have got no help from anyone. It will be a big relief if BCCI releases our prize money soon," said Wasim, who had scored a match-winning 40-ball 79 in the semi-final against Pakistan.

Hard-hitting batsman Sudanese Mahendaran, 29, who changed the complexion of the game in the final against England with his 11-ball 33, said the lockdown has rendered his family income-less. "There has been no income for the last month as my father has not been able to ride his auto rickshaw due to the lockdown. My close friends are helping us out," said the Tamil Nadu lad.

Bengal-based wicketkeeper batsman Debabrata Roy, 31, is confident BCCI president Ganguly will rescue the players. "I was earning R8,000 till last month as a salesman at a cloth store. I am sure Dada [Ganguly] will look into our problems," said Roy.

Left-arm spinner Anish Rajan, who was India's highest wicket-taker (11) in the tournament, has had his share of suffering in the lockdown.

Skipper Vikrant Keni (right) and teammate Gurudas Raut with the R65 lakh cheque they received from the BCCI in March. Pic/ Suresh Karkera

A mechanical engineer by profession, Rajan quit his job in 2015 to pursue a career in cricket.

"My dream was to play for India. I play as a professional for Tripunithura Cricket Club in Kochi and I also officiate in matches as umpire or scorer. However, due to the lockdown, there has been no source of income," he said.

Skipper Keni, who is lucky to have a steady source of income, sympathised with the financial condition of some of his teammates. "Most of the players from my team are struggling as they have no jobs. I think the BCCI prize money is taking time due to the lockdown," said Palghar-based Keni.

BCCI's General Manager Cricket Operations, Syed Saba Karim told mid-day on Friday that the prize money will be remitted in a couple of days. "It has been approved and in a day or two, it will be processed. The amount will be deposited in their [players'] bank account. It has been cleared from our side," Karim said.

I will talk to BCCI: AICAPC prez Ghavri

AICAPC prez Karsan Ghavri

The president of the All India Cricket Association for Physically Challenged (AICAPC), Karsan Ghavri said he would talk to the BCCI officials to release the prize money of the Physical Disability T20 World Series-winning team once the lockdown ends. "It [the prize money] was supposed to go into the players' account, but it has not happened. This is not the right time to talk. Let everything settle down. We will definitely speak to the authorities," the former India all-rounder told mid-day.
Ghavri is also hopeful of sorting out the employment problems of the physically challenged cricketers. "We are definitely trying to help them out. In fact, Nitin Gadkari, a senior minister in the central government, is helping us a lot in this regard," he added.

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Former West Indies cricketer Ramnaresh Sarwan has broken his silence after his former teammate Chris Gayle took to social media to hit out at him. Gayle had earlier accused Sarwan for engineering his ouster from Caribbean Premier League side Jamaica Tallawahs. "I categorically deny any involvement in the decision, or the decision-making process, which led to Gayle's non-selection to represent the Jamaica Tallawahs in the 2020 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Tournament," Sarwan was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo on his Facebook page. "In that video, he has levelled false allegations and tarnished the good name and reputation of a series of persons.

"I was the focus of most of the onslaughts. I reply, not because I feel that Gayle's rantings are worthy of it, but because I feel that the public's record must be set straight and also, to protect the character and careers of so many people, whose image he sought to besmirch," he added. Gayle had earlier referred to Sarwan as a 'snake' and he even went on to the extent of saying that he was 'worse than coronavirus'.

"Let me make this abundantly clear that I played with Gayle since the inception of my career. I have always respect him as an extraordinary talent, a colleague and most importantly as a close friend. Hence, my utter shock at these allegations," said Sarwan. Tallawahs have also said that Sarwan had nothing to do with Gayle not being retained by the franchise.

"Gayle gave several reasons for the decision that was made not to retain him in the Tallawahs. However, the truth is that this decision was made collectively by the Ownership and Management team which did not include Ramnaresh Sarwan and based purely on business and cricketing reasoning," Tallawahs said in a statement on their official website.

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Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma recently had a candid chat with former Australian pacer Brett Lee about what he’s doing in order to keep himself busy during the lockdown on Star Sports’ show Cricket Connected. Rohit Sharma went on to address the issue of space in Mumbai on streets as well as houses. Rohit said, "I wish I had enough place to play indoor cricket, but unfortunately in Mumbai, the place is very secluded, and you have to stick to your apartment. We are not as lucky as you guys where you have your own backyard to play."

"In Mumbai, it’s very expensive to get your own house where you have your own backyard. I live in an apartment and I am lucky to have a little balcony where I can run around and do some activities that my trainer has given me. I am trying to follow whatever little I can. Hopefully, the gyms will open soon, and I can go there," Rohit added.

"But I am missing hitting the ball, that’s for sure. As you know, I like to hit big, so space is not enough. I just can’t wait to go out there and start hitting the ball."

Born and brought up in Mumbai, Rohit Sharma is also the captain for the IPL franchise Mumbai Indians and has won a record 4 IPL titles with the team.

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The coronavirus pandemic has not just forced a suspension of all sporting events across the globe, it has also raised question marks on the future and whether the ICC should look at other options to help the bowlers keep the shine on the ball rather than using saliva or sweat. And Dinesh Karthik believes that there needs to be a definite balance between bat and ball.

"I believe that there should be a fair contest between bat and a ball which is missing now a days especially in white-ball cricket. But I don't know if they allow ball tampering, where would they put a stop to it because that will be really hard. They have to manage it. To get the ball to swing , you need sweat and saliva. With new ball you use saliva and when it grows old you use sweat. But in England they use Murray Mint to the saliva, it helps ball to swing a lot more. That's why Test cricket in England is so challenging," he said in the latest episode of ESPNcricinfo One on One #Workfromhome.

Talking about switching roles when playing for India and in the IPL, Karthik said: "With experience comes adaptability. Over a period of time what you need to learn is that as a middle-order batsman you should be able to bat anywhere between number 3 and 7 and sometimes even 8. The key is not to get attached to where you're batting but about which situation you're walking into and how can you give your best.

"T20 has evolved in such a way that it doesn't matter whether you're a 1 down batsman or a 2 down batsman. All you need to know when you walk into the game is -- is it the 8th over or the 11th over or the 14th over and then accordingly react to the situation and use your skill set to do your best."

Commenting on India's journey in the 2019 World Cup, Karthik said that the team had a very successful run and none had imagined that the journey would end against the Kiwis in the semi-finals.

"We believed that we will go all the way. Everything was working well for us. Though, in the last 2-3 years, the only time any team could challenge us is when they got 3-4 wickets upfront and that happened in the WC semi-finals. And that put a break on us. Obviously loosing semi-final still hurts. But in the lead up to the tournament we achieved something special, we played very good cricket," he said.

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Current Indian team coach Ravi Shastri on Wednesday remembered his match-winning knock in the finals of the 1984-85 Ranji Trophy.

"Summer of 1984-85. Could do nothing wrong. Even the last game of a hectic season. Ranji Final vs Delhi. @MumbaiCricAssoc #memories," Shastri tweeted.

Summer of 1984-85. Could do nothing wrong. Even the last game of a hectic season. Ranji Final vs Delhi. @MumbaiCricAssoc #memories 🙏 pic.twitter.com/Gj3O9TBCz1

— Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) May 6, 2020

In the finals of the Ranji Trophy in 1985, Shastri was playing for Mumbai against Delhi.

Batting first, Mumbai, then known as Bombay, posted 333 runs on the board, and Shastri played an innings of just 29 runs and he was finally dismissed by Maninder Singh.

However, with the ball in his hand, the current Indian coach went on to pick four wickets as Delhi was bundled out for 398 runs, gaining a lead of 65 over Mumbai.

Shastri picked up the scalps of Chetan Chauhan, Manoj Prabhakar, Madan Lal, and S Srivastava.

In the second innings, Shastri starred with the bat as he played a knock of 76 runs to take Bombay to a comfortable position.

Defending 299, Shastri brought his A-game to the crease as he picked up eight wickets to bundle out Delhi for 209, giving Bombay a win by 90 runs.

Shastri finished the match with twelve wickets and scored 105 runs combined in both the innings.

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Out-of-favour wicketkeeper-batsman Parthiv Patel does not consider himself unlucky to have played in the same era as Mahendra Singh Dhoni as he knows that the former captain grabbed his opportunities way better than him. Patel last Test appearance for India was in 2018, while the last time he played an ODI for the country was way back in 2012.

"I don't see myself as unlucky to be playing in the Dhoni era. I started my career before him, and I had the opportunity to perform before him," Patel, 35, said during an interaction with Fever Network. "Dhoni came in to the team because I did not have a couple of good series and I was dropped. I know people can say it just to gain sympathies that I was born in the wrong era. But I don't believe that," he added.

"Whatever Dhoni has achieved was something very, very special and he achieved because he made sure of the opportunities he received. I don't feel unlucky at all," Patel asserted.

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His ice cool demeanour is the stuff of legends but former India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has no qualms conceding that he is not immune to pressure and fear. Dhoni, lending support to MFORE—an initiative offering mind conditioning programs to achieve peak performance in sports—offered his perspective on the issue of mental health. "In India, I feel there is still a big issue of accepting that there is some weakness when it comes to the mental aspects, but we generally term it as mental illness," Dhoni was quoted as saying in a press release issued by MFORE.

"Nobody really says that,.When I go to bat, the first five to 10 deliveries, my heart rate is elevated. I feel the pressure. I feel a bit scared because that's how everybody feels—how to cope with that?" the World Cup-winning captain asked. "This is a small problem but a lot of times we hesitate to say it to a coach and that's why the relationship between a player and coach is very important be it any sport," said Dhoni, who hasn't played any international cricket since India's World Cup semi-final exit last July.

"Mental conditioning coach should not be the one who comes for 15 days because you are only sharing the experience. If the mental conditioning coach is constantly with the player, he can understand what are the areas which are affecting his sport," Dhoni, who led CSK to three IPL titles, said.

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Oil is doing something that is even making Market veterans shake their heads in wonder. After shedding more than 300 per cent or $56 a barrel in one single day on Monday, the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for May delivery gained some ground early on Tuesday, recovering 103 per cent to come back in the positive zone at $1.35 a barrel.

But analysts expect that bloodbath in US oil market may continue well into Tuesday when May future contracts are expiring and traders still left with long positions facing actual delivery of oil may look to liquidate their stock even if they have to pay to do this. In simple terms this means that traders do not want to store crude by taking actual delivery for May and incur cost while not finding any buyers in the absence of demand that has also shrunk sharply by more than a third in Covid-19 pandemic.

"We could again see price of oil in US going into the negative zone on Tuesday. But this could be a lot less sharper than what was witnessed on Monday," said an oil sector analyst asking not to be named.

He said that lower oil prices bore good for India but how much oil companies can gain from US fall is uncertain as the Indian oil companies are not very active in the US markets and trade very small quantities in the spot market. Still some of this oil could be contracted if freight arrangements are worked out on time.

While US oil has shown significant fall, Brent has maintained a fairly steady path. The benchmark Brent oil is still hovering at $ 25 a barrel. The US WTI for June delivery is still keeping its heads up at over $ 20 a barrel. But it would be seen if Covid-19 situation improves in coming days and demand picks up. Otherwise, June oil futures can go the May way.

The decline of oil prices comes despite the recent output cut agreement between the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies.

There were hopes that agreement would stabilise oil prices, but with the Covid-19 pandemic continuing, there has been a large slip in demand that is not letting a pick-up in oil prices.

The current market is oversupplied on shrinking demand, creating a situation of free fall for crude.

The price of oil has now reached a point that it is increasingly becoming difficult for higher cost producers to remain in operation and rather look at declaring bankruptcy.

A lot of US shale producers are in deep trouble and analysts expect that low oil price for few more months will result in a spate of bankruptcies in the US.

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